Method of operating marine structures



G. BAUER ET AL METHOD OF OPERATING MARINE STRUCTURES Nov. 25, 19582,861,430

' Filed April 26. 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Geo:- e Bauer Z6022 B.Del/071$ Geozgbe ES'uJerou 30262-1 S20 Wd 2' far 30 2M wuww ATTORNEYSNov. 25, 1958 G. BAUER ET AL METHOD OF OPERATIfiG MARINE STRUCTURES 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 26. 1955 INVENTORS rye Bauer Geo l Lean.flelazy Gear 9E Sad'ero w .HoZerfMS'fiowalf BY ATTORNEYS METHOD 9FQPERATING MARINE STRUCTURES George Bauer, San Pedro, Calif., Leon B. DeLong, Seattle, Wash, George E. Suderow, Staten Island, N. Y., and RobertN. Showalter, Orange, Tex., asignors to De Long Corporation, New York,N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application April 26, 1955, Serial No.503,958

1 Claim. c1. 61-465) This invention relates to above-water marineplatforms, which may be in the nature of a dock or in the nature of anoffshore installation. More particularly, this invention relates tomethods of operating and manipulating apparatus which can be erected asan abovewater marine platform in accordance with the teachings of theco-pending application of Robert W. Pointer, Serial No. 283,567, filedApril 22, 1952, now Patent No. 2,775,869.

In the aforementioned patent, there is disclosed a barge having abuoyant hull equipped with a plurality of vertically-extendingsupportingelements or legs, there disclosed as caissons which aremounted for vertical movement relative to the hull in correspondingguiding openings or wells in the latter. Jacks are mounted on the hulland are releasably engageable with each caisson for forcefully effectingrelative vertical movement between the caissons and the hull. By meansof this structure, the hull can be floated to any selected marinelocation and the caissons moved down to engage with the marine bottomwhile the hull is still afloat. Thereafter, by operation of the jacks,the hull can be raised to any desired elevation on the caissons andsupported thereon, to thus provide a stable platform which can be usedas a dock, as a base for drilling operations, or for any otherappropriate purpose. If the platform is used for drilling operations orthe like, after the latter have been completed, the hull can be loweredby the jacks back down into the Water until the hull is again afloat.Thereupon, by operating the jacks the caissons can be pulled up and thebarge floated to another drilling site.

As disclosed in the aforementioned Pointer patent, a small clearanceexists between each caisson and its corresponding guiding well so thateach caisson can cant in its well to a limited extent in any direction.Additionally, the jacks are so mounted on the barge that they can cantwith their corresponding caissons to thereby avoid any binding action ofthe caissons in their jacks. The advantages of the slight cantability ofthe caissons and the novel uses for which this feature may be employed,will becom more apparent hereinafter.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide novel methodsfor fully utilizing the advantages of the cantability of theaforedescribed supporting legs or members of apparatus embodying the genral principles of the Pointer invention. To this end, this applicationdiscloses methods of manipulating and operating such apparatus, andother inventive objects and advantages of such methods will be evidentfrom the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of apparatus of the type with which thisinvention is practiced.

Figure 2 is a side view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end view of such apparatus illustrating the initialpositioning of a dock-type installation therewith.

Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 are fragmentary views ,of the ice apparatus shownin Figure 3 illustrating the successive 1steps employed in manipulatingone of the supporting egs.

Figure 8 is a view corresponding to Figure 3 but illustrating the finalstep in manipulating the apparatus to shift it horizontally from theposition shown in Figure 3.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is shownapparatus for practicing this invention. Such apparatus includes agenerally rectangular buoyant hull in the nature of a barge 30, which inan actual operating embodiment has a length of the order of ZOO'feet anda beam of the order of feet. It will be obvious, however, that many ofthe methods disclosed herein are adaptable to barges of other sizes andconfigurations. Additionally, the actual details of construction and theinternal compartmentation of the barge will depend upon the use to whichit is to be put, e. g., a dock, a drilling barge, a permanentabove-water marine platform, etc.

Spaced along each sideof the barge 30 and preferably arranged generallysymmetrically with respect to the longitudinal center line thereof are aplurality of vertically extending, hollow circular steel caissons C1 toC12 that are somewhat loosely, slidably guided for relativesubstantially vertical linear movement in corresponding caisson wells 32(Figures 3 to 8) that extend vertically through the barge and havealigned, circular, top and bottom guiding openings. These guiding wells32 are of slightly greater diameter than the caisons C mounted thereinso as to somewhat loosely receive and linearly guide the latter, asmentioned above and as disclosed in detail in the aforementionedapplication. In an actual operating embodiment, such caissons C are ofthe order of 6 feet in diameter uniformly throughout their entirelengths, while the wells 32 are about 6 feet 1 inch in diameter. siblefor the caisons C to cant slightly in their wells 32. In the drawings,the clearance between the caissons C and their corresponding wells 32has been greatly exaggerated for illustrative purposes only.

It is to be understood that this invention is applicable to and may bepracticed with buoyant hulls or platforms having upstanding, supportinglegs of any type, whether of an openwork tower-like construction or ofan imperforate caisson-like construction, as is shown herein.Furthermore, it will be realized that the invention can be practicedwith supporting elements or legs of any appropriate configuration intransverse section, provided such supporting legs are mounted in wellsor equivalent guides so that some limited canting movement of thesupporting legs relative thereto is possible.

In the apparatus illustrated in the drawings, the caissons C may be ofthe order of feet in length when used with a barge that is intended tobe employed as a portable, offshore, above-water marine platform. Twelvesuch caissons C1 to C12, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings,have been found adequate for a barge of the above-mentioned size. Thecaissons C are arranged in opposite pairs, spaced along the length ofthe barge 30 at locations determined principally by the loaddistribution on or in the bull, in order to distribute the weight of thebarge, and the load thereon or therein, generally equally among all thecaissons when the hull is raised out of the water on the caissons, aslater described. It will be realized, however, that the number andspacing of the caissons C can be varied to accommodate buoyant platformsof different sizes and operating conditions. In barges of otherconfigurations it also will be realized that other caisson locationalpatterns may be employed and determined primarily by load distribution.

Secured to the barge 36 at each caisson well 32 and in surroundingrelation to the corresponding caisson C is a jack 34, which preferablyisof the general type Consequently, it will be seen that it is pos-.

described in detail in theaforementioned Pointer patent. Since adetailed description of such jacks 34 is given in such patent, adetailed description here would be unnecessarily repetitious. it issufficient tostatec that,.as: shown in Figure 3, each jack34includesupper andslower: gripper sections 35 and 38 each comprising acaissonsurrounding rigid' collar or sleeve -tlhaving. a plurality ofinner circumferential channels within: whiclrare' disposedfiuid-pressure-constrictable'rings .42 for positively,

yet releasably, gripping their caisson C. Between the upper and lowersections 36 and 38k: a. caisson-surrounding fluid-pressure-expansiblebellows-like section 44. capable. of exerting a powerful force to movethe. upper. and lower jack sections apart, whileseveral'pressurecylinder retractors (not shown) are spaced;aboutandconnected to both the upper and lower jack sections to drawthemtoward each other when the bellows is exhausted. The lower grippersection 38 is engageable. against the deck 46 of the barge 38 about thecaisson'well 32'to exert a downward force against the barge and theuppergripper section 36 is secured to the barge for exerting;

anupward force thereagainst by a plurality of tie rods. 48, usuallyabout four such rods being arranged circumferentially about the jack 34.Each tie rod 43"has a head 50' on its upper end to limit upwardmovementof the upper jack section 36 relative thereto, but suchsection-isfree to move downwardly on the rods. The'rods 4daresoconnected to the barge 3t and to the upper gripper section 36 of thejack 3% that the entire jack can move slightly in any transversedirection relative to the caisson well 32 and also can cant with thecaisson C as the latter cants in its well.

As decribed more in detail in the aforementioned Pointer patent, eachjack can be operated'toimpart stepby-step vertical linear relativemovement in either direc-' tion between its caisson C and the hull. Thusfor example, in order to raise a caisson C relative to the barge 30 andstarting with the lower jack section 38 resting on the deck 4-6 andengaged'with a caisson,.the upper section 36 is then disengaged from thecaisson and the bellows 44 exhausted to permit the upper section' tomovedownwardly by its own weight or it may be forced'downwardly by theretractors. The upper section36is then engaged, the lower section 38disengaged, and the bellows 44 expanded to thereby raise the caisson Crelative to'the barge 3t) a distance corersponding to the stroke of. thejack 34. At the end of such caisson-lifting stroke of=the jack 34 thelower section 38 is re-engaged'and the cycle repeated to again raise thecaisson. To raise the'barge 30 on the caissons C when the latter areengaged with the marine bottom, the bellows 44 is expanded to'move theupper jack section 36' up into engagement with the tie rod heads 5% andthe upper section is then engaged with its caisson C. Thereupon, thelower jack section 33 is disengaged, the bellows 44 exhausted, and thelower section lifted by the previously-mentioned retractors. The lowersection 38 then is re-engaged, the upper section 36 disengaged, and thebellows d4 expanded to thereby exert a strong barge-raising force on thecaisson C. As is also described in detail in the aforementioned Pointerpatent, controls (not shown) are provided for the jacks 34 to enabletheir selective, individual operation ortheir operation in unison.

It also is pointed out that other types of jacks which operate onsomewhat the same general principles as the Pointer jack can be employedfor practicing this invention, provided the platform-supporting legs aremounted for limited canting. movement in their wells or other. guidingstructure, and the jacks can cant with the legs.

:The method of this invention willnow be described with reference to theuse of the aforedescribed apparatus for a precision installation, i. e.,a dock which mustbe exactly positioned with a close tolerance, such asunder linch', with reference to shore installations. Such adock might beused, for example, forore or coal handling 11 facilities whereinconveyor system tracks and machinery are built into the dock prior toits erection, and such tracks must be exactly matched with previouslyinstalled shore tracks.

In order to erect such a dock in accordance with this invention, thecassions C are first inserted into their wells 32, as by a crane (notshown) so that they project only a short distance therebelow, and areheld in upright position therein by the jacks 34, as shown in Figure 2.The barge 30 or buoyant dock structure may then be towed to apredetermined dock-erection site by a tug (not shown), and at such sitethe barge is maneuvered, e. g., by shore lines, anchors, and winches,etc. (not shown), as nearly as possible into its predetermined desiredposition. The jacks 34 of several of the caissons C are then released toallow such caissons to drop into engagement with the marine bottom 52(Figure 3), and thus hold the barge 30 in place. The position of thebarge 30 may then be surveyed to determine its exact position. If thebarge 30 is within several inches of its desired position, the jacks 34ofall of the remaining caissons'C are then released to allow theremaining caissons to drop into engagement with the marine bottom 52,whereupon by operation of all the jacks 34 in unison the entire barge 30is raised on the caissons C to its approximate predetermined desiredelevation, as shown in Figure 3, and then leveled, if necessary, byselective operation of the jacks. The position of the barge 30 is againsurveyed, and quite frequently it will be found that the barge will havemoved somewhat due to wind, currents, and/ or a sloping condition of themarine bottom 52, so that it usually will be several inches out of thepredetermined desired position.

By the practice of this invention, however, the barge 30 can be movedseveral inches in any direction without being refloated, so that it canbe precisely positioned in an exact, desired location.

Referring again to Figure 3, it is assumed that the desired position of:the raised barge 31 is as shown in dotted lines. Hence, in order to bepositioned correctly, the raised barge 39 needs to be moved severalinches sideways and to the right. In order to accomplish this smallmovement, each caisson C is, in turn, manipulated as follows: First ofall, the caisson C is'pulled up, by operation of its corresponding jack34, until its lower end is out of engagement with the marine bottom 52,as shown in Figure 4, leaving the weight of the barge 31 supported onthe remaining caissons. In this position of the caisson C it will beseen that the lower gripper section 38 of the jack 34 is in engagementwith the deck 46 of the barge 30, the bellow 44 is at least partiallyextended, and the upper'section 36 is gripping the caisson. The nextstep is to interpose an adjustable prop or jack 54 of any conventionaldesign between the deck 46 and the right hand side of the upper grippersection 36, e. g., beneath that portion of the jack 34 to which theright hand tie rod 48 is connected. The bellows d4 'isthen slowlyexhausted, and it will be seen that because of the presence of the prop54, the entire jack 34 will tilt in a direction to cause the lower endof the caisson C to swing in an arc toward the right until the caissoncontacts the lower edge of the well 32 on the right hand side and theupper edge of the well on the left hand side, as shown in Figure 5. Asstated heretofore, the clearance between each caisson C and its well 32has been greatly exaggerated for illustrative purposes only. Hence, itwill be realized that in actual practice of the method being described,the lower end of the caisson willswing only a few inchesbecause of thesmall actual operating clearance and also because docks usually areerected in relatively shallow water and the barge. 30 is not.far abovethe surface thereof, so that the section of thecaisson which projectsbeneath the barge is not very long.

. As the bellow 44 becomes fully exhausted, the lower gripper section38is raised relative to the upper 36 by the previously-mentionedretractors and at that time a block 56 may be interposed between thelower gripper section, at the right hand side thereof, and the deck 46in order to maintain the jack 34 and its caisson C in the cantedposition shown. The bellows 44 then is extended slightly so that theprop 54 may be removed as shown in Figure 7. The upper gripper section36 is then disengaged from the caisson C, allowing the same to drop backinto engagement with the marine bottom 52 while in the canted positionshown in Figure 7. The jack 34 is then operated to forcefully drive thecaisson C into the marine bottom 52 until the caisson again supports itsproportionate share of the total weight of the barge 30.

Other methods also may be employed to tilt the jack 34 and, hence, thecaisson C. For example, starting with the jack 34 in the condition shownin Figure 4, the lower jack section 38 may be engaged with the caisson Cin order to support it, the upper section 36 then disengaged, and thebellows 44 exhausted to allow the upper section to move down, either byits own weight or be drawn down by the retractors. The upper section 36is moved down suflicicntly for shims (not shown) to be interposedbetween the head 50 of the left hand tie rod 48 and the upper jacksection 36. Whereupon, the upper section 36 is engaged with the caissonC, the lower section 38 disengaged, and the bellows extended, thuslifting the caisson C. On engagement of the upper section 36 with theshims, the entire jack will cant or tilt in the desired direction, thusswinging the caisson C as shown in Figure 5.

After the foregoing caisson-pulling and resetting at an angle procedurehas been accomplished for each of the caissons C, the lower ends of allof the caissons will have been shifted slightly to the right and theyall will be leaning slightly in substantially the same direction, asshown in dotted lines in Figure 8; whereupon all of the jacks 34 areoperated in unison to lift the barge 30 slightly on the caissons C sothat the lower gripper sec tion 38 of each jack 34 can be raisedslightly relative to the barge in order to permit removal of all of theblocks 56, if the procedure requiring their use has been followed. Afterall of the blocks 56 have been removed, the jacks 34 along the left handside of the barge 30 are operated to raise that side of the barge on thecaissons C, as shown in Figure 8. This action, because of the engagementof the caissons C at the top and the bottom of their wells 32 onopposite sides thereof, will actually pivot the caissons in the marinebottom 52 and straighten them to the vertical. In so doing the barge 30will move slightly to the right, as shown in solid lines in Figure 8.The jacks 34 along the left hand side of the barge 30 are then operatedto lower that side and thereby level the barge on the caissons C,whereupon the barge will be positioned quite precisely in its desiredexact position. The caissons C then are driven to refusal into themarine bottom 52 by successive operation of their jacks 34. If the barge30 is to be used as a permanent clock, the caissons C can then be weldedor otherwise rigidly fixed and secured to the barge 30. Thereupon thejacks 34 can be 6 detached and removed, and the caissons C can be cut 05flush with the deck 46 of the barge if desired.

It will be evident that the foregoing method steps can be used to shiftthe barge 30 lightly in any horizontal direction. It also will beevident that the method is inapplicable where marine bottom conditionsare such that the caissons C, when the barge is initially raisedthereon, are engaged so tightly in the marine bottom 52, as by a deeppenetration thereinto, that they cannot be pivoted or straightened tothe vertical as illustrated in Figure 8. Most dock installations,however, are in locations wherein the nature of the marine bottomreadily permits the shifting method to be practiced.

It thus will be seen that the objects of this invention have been fullymet. It will be realized, however, that the specific method illustratedand described herein for the purpose of illustrating the principles ofthis invention is subject to variation without departure from suchprinciples. Therefore, this invention includes all methods encompassedwithin the spirit and scope of the following claim.

We claim:

The method of precisely positioning a marine-bottomsupported above-waterplatform with apparatus which includes a platform-like buoyant bodyhaving a plurality of substantially-upright elongated supporting membersmounted for limited universal canting and substantiallyunlimitedgenerally-longitudinal movement in guide means on the body, and furtherhaving operating means for each member for selectively and forcefullyeffecting such longitudinal movement in either direction or restrainingsuch longitudinal movement, and starting with the supporting memberssubstantially vertical, engaged with the marine bottom, and supportingat least a major portion of the weight of the body, the stepscomprising: successively raising each of the members until its lower endis out of engagement with the marine bottom while supporting the body onthe remaining members, canting the raised member to a predeterminedextent in one direction, and moving the member, while maintaining it socanted, back down into engagement with the marine bottom and supportinga part of the weight of the body thereon, whereby all the members willbe leaning substantially the same extent in substantially the samedirection; tilting the body on the members sufficiently and in adirection to straighten the members substantially to the vertical; andleveling the body on the members, whereby the body will have beenshifted a predetermined distance horizontally, from its original raisedposition, in a direction opposite that in which the members were canted.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS635,798 Muehle Oct. 31, 1899 415,501 Cole Nov. 19, 1954 2,775,869Pointer Jan. 1, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 713,298 Great Britain Aug. 11, 1954

